Review Details

304 Fixed Flexible Liner Elbow

Product Rating:

Product Review (submitted on November 17, 2016):

I realize that fabricating out of a heavy gauge 304 stainless sheet is not easy and not inexpensive. The end result, although not shiny like the 316 but nobody's going to see it, anyway. It's the quality and fit of the fab that makes the value and the quality and fit are top of the line. For that, you get five stars on all three categories. Now the help you provided over the phone an through emails is much appreciated so that gets five stars, also. Now, and I've mentioned this before to you, the adapter is what made the whole installation possible. My sincere gratitude to the craftsman who built that piece. I look at it as a work of art with amazingly perfect fit into the collar of our insert, an old Sierra 4500 from the 80's. You might pass this on so that he might keep the plan for the next guy that comes along that needs and adapter for one. For the downside of the project, the 316 Ti flexible liner is not really very flexible. That stuff has so much static energy in it that it takes at least four or five people to get it straight enough to get down the flue and if there is any offset from the flue to the center area of the firebox and liner, elbows will be needed. Just one other thing; on the install of the liner from the top, as the liner is inserted into the top of the flue, it tends to bend back into its previous curl under its own weight. By the time it is installed, it has so much energy stored that it refuses to straighten. My suggestion is to do what I did. I built a mast out of 2x2 about four feet longer than the length of the liner, put a pulley at the top and a rope line through the pulley. The mast was secured to the chimney with Pony 50 black pipe wood clamps. I made a tapered disk that fit into the end of the liner with an eye bolt through the center of the disk and tied the line to it. Then all I had to do was hoist the liner up above the chase and lower it down the flue. It kept the liner straight and allowed myself or a helper on the ground to lower as it was fed into the flue. The project was completed and passed inspection by the City of Des Moines mechanical inspector. Other than those three mentioned problems, I have no other issues. Thank you very much for your assistance. I also wrote another review regarding this purchase and install. I thought it was in response to a request from Fireside but after it was submitted, I received information that it was from a third party administrator. I don't recall the name of that TPA and I'm sure I saved their solicitation but have not, as yet, found it.